1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera capable recording information relating to each photographic frame of a film onto the information recording area of the film.
2. Description of Related Art
Cameras are known in which film may be used which has a magnetic recording area extending along film in the lengthwise direction. Information relating to each photographic frame is recorded by a magnetic head onto this magnetic recording area as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,873 to Wash. Such a camera powers the above-mentioned magnetic head and a feed of the film frame after each frame has been photographed, and records the information relating to the frame onto the magnetic recording area. The recorded information may, for example, be a date of photography, an exposure value, a print size, or characters input in advance by the photographer (such as characters showing the location of the photography or the like). The recorded information is then regenerated by a printing device in a lab, print conditions being determined based on the regenerated information, the date of photography, characters and the like being conveniently recorded on a blank portion or the rear surface of the print.
There are many cases involving an information recording camera such as that described above in which the same information is recorded for several consecutive frames. For example, if ten frames are photographed in one day, the date of photographic information for each of the frames will be the same. In this case, if the date of photographic information is recorded for only a certain one of the frames among the ten frames and it is understood that the other nine frames are the same, the amount of information to be recorded will be less than when the date of photographic information is recorded for each of the ten frames. Other conceivable examples of the same information being recorded for multiple consecutive frames, in addition to the date of photographic information described above, might be the location of photography and type of object being photographed (both of which are input in advance by a user). Concerning film sensitivity information, all photographic frames will be the same, and when consecutive photographs are taken, it may be assumed that the information relating to each photographic frame will be virtually unchanged.
Therefore, in such a case, the information may be recorded for any one of the frames and the other frames set to be the same. However, on a conventional camera, since this type of consideration is not taken into account, the information is recorded for every frame even if it is the same information. The battery power source is, therefore, wastefully expended in recording unnecessary information.